Caray, Caray!

Urban:

Thanks so much for this post. I had never heard "Rata de los Patas" before watching PESE. Marvelous funny song.

I had heard of Vincente Fernandez and loved his duet with Tony Bennett. I love how they did an Italian song in Spanish.

My favorite song to swoon to is "Mi Riqueza" by Pablo Montero of course. I never saw TdA, but when I knew QBA was going to replace AB, and when you talked about mariachi music, I thought I'd go on Youtube and check it out. It is wonderful, the range. I also didn't know that Augustin Lara was part of this genre too. I love his music. So getting back to Pablo, "Mi Riqueza" is so swoon worthy and I just love his voice. It's so smooth, like a fine aged whiskey. *Sigh*

I also saw the video with Pablo, Eduarado and Jorge from FELS. That was really good too, Jorge and Eduardo sounded good, even though Eduardo really yells his lyrics, lol. The harmony though was most excellent : )
 

I've grown to love this music in the last few years, since I started in with telenovelas.

I'm from Southern California, and so will hear radios blaring Spanish-language songs from time-to-time. And occasionally you'll encounter live Mariachi bands playing at tourist places (like Olvera Street). Usually they are just too loud! LOL. But, they are part of the sound of "home," so I'm open to that.

And besides, I also love some composers who sometimes write with a latin flavor (like my fave Jerry Goldsmith) as well as groups like Huayulcaltia, so why not introduce myself to ranchero music too?

I have been seeing pictures and references to Vincente Fernandez for a while, but when I finally started sampling his music on iTunes, I was pleased by how awesome he is! I have several of his songs in my iTunes playlist, and need to look for more. And Pablo Montero is great. I love his stuff.
 

I've heard Pablo live four times and he is magnificent on stage. I was so relieved that despite the jerkwad qualities to his character in QBA he is finally shaving again and wearing the right haircut because the traje de charro makes him look princely.

Alejandro Fernandez is pure dynamite on stage; he can sing for four hours straight with only a short break to change clothes. The stories about women throwing their bras on stage are all true.

I wish I could sing like Aida Cuevas!

In the world of musica tropical, I've been to some incredible salsa concerts where people are dancing on the promenades. Mark Anthony and Victor Manuelle really get it going!
 

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I like Paquita, Chino y Nacho, Alejandro Sanz, Alejandro Fernandez, Reik. Not even sure what type of Latin music it is, just know I like it. Also Jesse y Joy
 

LUIS MIGUEL all the way. it's also his birthday today.

also have loved salsa music since the 80's. Marc Anthony, Rey Ruiz, Celia Cruz, etc.

Carlos Santana since the 70s.
 

I love Celia Cruz and I'm sorry I didn't get to meet her.

BTW, the same friend who accompanied me to the Vicente Fernandez concert loved the Marco Antonio Solis concert I took her to for her birthday that same year. Alas, her husband didn't feel the same way so he didn't get to hear Don Chente.
 

I like all kinds of latin music. I saw Los Van Van in San Francisco, one of the most exciting shows ever. They're Cuban and not expatriates. As far as I know they still live there.

I bought one of my favorite CD's in an underground music kiosk in the NYC subway: an excellent collection by Manny Oquendo's group Libre. He's passed on now, but was a fabulous Puerto Rican timbalero. I also saw his group live in San Francisco.

I adore rancheras and cumbias. Vicente Fernández is simply fabulous, with a voice like either melted butter or maple syrup.

A friend and I used to go for Mexican brunch in a San Jose barrio to listen to Sunday early afternoon mariachis. And I attended the Mariachi festival in Guadalupe Park in San Jose for years.

I also like Tex-Mex, especially Flaco Jimenez, whom I also saw in a terrific live show in SF. When I visited San Antonio some years back, Flaco played the Labor Day Weekend Conjunto Festival. Just terrific!
 

Thanks for bringing up this topic which is especially appropriate to discuss right now, what with the new show.

We've been to three Vicente Fernandez concerts here in Houston and what a treat each was. He is such a treasure and he truly adores his fans and of course...we, him.

Today, elsewhere you said this about Jorge Salinas:

"...his ability to sing this particular music is not compatible with smoking..."

And yet in each of his concerts, don Chente sat down at a small table, poured himself a huge shot of Tequila, lit up a cigarette and then sang his heart out.

No discussion of Ranchera can go without mentioning the great Pedro Infante. Here he is singing my personal favorite Ranchera Ella, and even though he is supposedly drunk, notice how easy it is to distinguish every single word.

Carlos
 

I'm so happy to see this discussion! Last night I spent 2 hours on youtube looking at videos of Don Chente, Juan Gabriel and Jenni Rivera, and let me tell you, no one, no one does heart break music like ranchero artists, when someone has broken your heart put on some Chente, get the tequila, go into your room find a nice little dark corner and drink while you cry and sing along.

My favorite has to be Chente, that man is wonderful and I'm sad I never got to see him in concert. "El Rey", and "por tu maldito amor" are true gems! oh almost forgot "te solte las riendas"! Juan Gabriels "Asi fue" is also a long time favorite of mine,I'll share more over the weekend, thank you so much for this post!
 

"Asi fue" is a fabulous song. I heard it live in the Garden in 2003 when Juan Gabriel and Marco Antonio Solis both appeared that night. They did a song together but I don't think it was recorded for posterity.

Juan Gabriel doesn't have the greatest voice but he is a great showman and composer. Marco Antonio Solis, however, has an amazing voice.

Has anyone here heard Placido Domingo's mariachi album?
 

Ooo Urban that must have been such a treat! My mom, loved, loved Marco Antonio Solis, I grew up with jis music playing in our house, those were happy times!
 

I too am from So. California by way of Philly and used to ignore the Latin music on my radio as irritating, but now I love it. I think it is because of my exposure to the novellas. Juanes is my favorite and my Latina friends have been dying to go to our first Juanes concert together. (They've seen him many times before) I'm a person who loves rock from the 80s. However, I am now into mariachi and ranchero genres most recently...Paquita...that woman's voice is incredibly rich...I've never heard anything like that richness before. One of may fave all time Latin songs is Joann Sebastian's " Secreto d'Amour"....One of the sexiest songs ever. Gertie
 

My favorite Mexican singer is Lila Downs-- she does it all and is an amazing live performer. I'm seeing her for the 6th time on Cinco de Mayo, and have even convinced Anita and some of our other amigas to come with.
Fallaste Corazon: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDHn2DQCLqw
Zapata Se Queda: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beuRgIqxTnY


As for other Latin styles, I listen to them all, especially the Caribbean/coastal sounds of salsa, merengue, bachata, etc. Juan Luis Guerra and Carlos Vives are favorites from way back.
 

Does "Latin music" include any genre that originates in a Spanish- or Portuguese-speaking country? If so, the possibilities are pretty close to endless. And most would never show up on a telenovela. (Personally I end up kind of attached to the theme songs on my favorite TNs, but the artists aren't ones I'd listen to otherwise.) So just some of the Latin genres I like:

Peruvian music:
The classic criollo stuff--such as Chabuca Grande--http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8rmAHqSaE8 My father's girlfriend brought me some Chabuca Grande tapes when he and she girlfriend came to Poland to meet me.
Afro-Peruvian music--for example Susana Baca:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBo_bk6zqec

From South America more generally, the stuff based on Andean musical traditions. (This one is from Bolivia.) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxdQSO53Z4w

Or from the north-east of Brazil, among the best dance music ever, forro: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWiJL0_yj9c

And one of my favorite singers, Mercedes Sosa from Argentina: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4LJDTlviKw
 

Great discussion!

I tend more towards rock, so my favorites are Alejandra Guzman and Juanes. I also like La Oreja de Van Gogh, Aterciopelagos, Julieta Venegas and Laura Pausini. For progressive rock, nothing beats Mago de Oz.

I also like anything with accordion, such as Flaco Jimenez, Ramon Ayala or Tigres del Norte. And I adore Los Horoscopos del Durango.

But wait, what about Paulina Rubio, Thalia, Shakira, Quinta Estacion, Jesse Y Joy, Glora Trevi, Gloria Estefan. I love them all!
 

Alejandra Guzman's song for Famila con Suerte won the Premios, I loved it.
 

UA,

Favs include:

"Musica Romantica" i.e. latin pop such as Alejandro Sanz, Camila, Reyli Barba, Pepe Aguilar, Luis Miguel (who had one hottt album cover with aviator glasses - whoa), Julio (prefer dad to son) Iglesias, Roberto Carlos, Chau Soda, Kalimba and Jose Luis Perales, and who could forget Pepe Pepe (Jose Jose).....

Old School classic favs are Placido
Rafael and Carlos Gardel ...

Classic stuff from my years of dancingBallet Folklorico... Jarabes and huapango and on and on...

Thanks for the topic.

Mena, La Reina de Snarky California del Sur
 

If not for novelas I probably would have never discovered Rocio Durcal's Infiel, or Rosana's El Talismán, and so on. And through a degree of separation I would have never discovered Alejandro Sanz and Mana and los Fernandez...I still can't understand most of it, but it's all pretty and catchy. And I'm used to this sort of thing thanks to Japanese animated works, anyway. :)
 

I don't know a lot of French, but I can tell the 1:04PM comment is spam.

I like about 2/3 of what I hear in TNs and of that, I LOVE about a third. That's an impressive amount.

I like anything with an accordion. I like a lot of ranchera. I like Vicente. I like Marco Antonio Soliz. I like Ricardo AND Hector Montaner.

I ADORE Ramon Ayala. (And I don't even know him from TNs. I know him as a side-effect of TNs.)

But you know who started me off on Latin music? It's sort of funny... it was Herb Alpert. Maybe it wasn't the most direct path, but I was very young and I just listened to what we had. In any case, apparently it laid the groundwork for me to like this stuff later on!
 

Julie, I sure remember Herb Alpert too! And I'll add an old name around that time... Trini Lopez! Wonder who remembers that musica?

Mena, La Reina de Snarky California del Sur
 

oh I'm familiar w/ Herb Alpert and Trini Lopez. Sergio Mendes and Brasil 66 too.
 

Love this topic!

Ever since Camila's "De Mi" (Aurora and Mariano's song in TERESA), I have developed quite an obsession with Latin music!

I like just about anything in Spanish, except ranchera (sorry, guys!). Camila is one of my all-time favorites (I traveled to see them in Houston, and then again in Boston last year... their live show is phenomenal!!!), but I also love Jesse & Joy, Shakira, salsa, bossanova, reggaeton, Jencarlos, Reyli, some South American rock bands I've stumbled upon, and a lot of Cuban/Caribbean music... in fact, there's not a whole lot of English music I listen to anymore!

And it all started with Mariano and Aurora :)

By the way, has anyone heard the version of "Aleluya" that Jencarlos does with Jose Feliciano??? Stunning!

AnotherAmy
 

I first heard Pablo Montero when "Vuelve junto a mi" was used as a closing-credits song for a novela in 1999. My first thought was "Even if he looks like a toad he has more women than he knows what to do with."

Big shock when I finally saw him in Abrazame Muy Fuerte and saw how young he was. No shock at how gorgeous he is.

Ranchera music demands that now; nortena not so much. I tried watching Los Heroes del Norte but couldn't get into it. I'm not nuts about that music genre.

In recent times we've had lots of excellent songs used as novela themes and while I'm not a fan of Luis Miguel I love the one of his used for Triunfo del Amor. The song for Abismo de Pasion was beautiful; I think it was the best one this year.

Gloria Trevi had a couple of great ones, such as the one for Teresa and for Mujeres Asesinas.

Latin jazz.... great stuff.
 

Ever since her tragic plane crash, I've listened to everything I could find from La Diva de la Banda, Jenni Rivera.
 

I love Latin music, and I always nice to discover new artists. There are so many of them whom I don't know yet.

But I'm afraid I don't get this part:

"Some get stupidly xenophobic over the language; I called out a friend on this one once because she's willing to listen to Italian opera on the radio when she doesn't speak Italian. She also listens to Celtic music whose lyrics are indecipherable and in a language she has no patience to learn."

Maybe it's a specific American/English-speaker language problem that I can't relate to, but I don't see what's wrong with listening to songs that we don't understand. That's what the not English speaker part of the world does on a regular basis. Actually, I enjoyed American/British/etc songs more when I didn't understand them, because nowadays I usually roll my eyes at the lyrics. :) I have the same problem with Spanish music.

Gangnam Style was a relief for me. Gibberish-gibberish-oppan gangnamseutwhatever-gibberish-gibberish. :)
 

Aribeth, the friend in question lived in Washington Heights for a long time during a bad time there. She came to think of Hispanics in a very negative way. I can't talk about novelas with her because she is unwilling to listen. When she would make the excuse about not understanding the lyrics she was being a hypocrite.

However, I caught her out once when I showed her one of Alejandro Fernandez' music videos. She had heard the song on a radio station being played in a store (It was a megahit at the time) and her jaw dropped when she saw him. Since we are both big fans of vampire movies I asked "Think he would make a sexy vampire?" She answered "Hell, yeah!"

I took flamenco lessons for eight years and always fantasized about crating a flamenco ballet about Count Dracula. Looking at Alejandro made me want to compose an opera about the same subject.

As to the general attitude in the US about foreign language, it is pathetic. Many people here never bother to learn any foreign languages and many schools don't bother teaching them anymore. I have a good friend whose son attends a technical high school. He is taking Spanish this year but will not next year; the Regents' exam (statewide in NY) will happen in June and he is not required to take any foreign language at all. Nor is he required to take music or art appreciation, but don't get me started on that. I don't want to derail this discussion.

Just as a point of interest -- and for those who don't know -- I came to learn Spanish as a result of taking flamenco dance lessons when I got tired of not being able to understand what I was dancing to.
 

UA: Thank you, now I understand it.
 

I've been into vintage ballroom and roots music of various genres and regions for years, and so when I started learning Spanish I naturally gravitated to the old Latin stuff, from the '20's to the '60's. Boleros, tango, tríos románticos, pasillos, coplas españolas. In tn's I usually like the little bands playing in cantinas in minor scenes better than the theme songs.

Ranchera isn't one of my favorite genres, but I do love early Cuco Sánchez, here's "La Cama de Piedra:"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEqh67lhiWM

Chavela Vargas did some great rancheras (when she was younger; she kept performing and recording, bless her heart, for many years after her voice had shattered,) like her rendition of "Paloma Negra:"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OanOkaXRvoM

But I think she was even better doing her own thing, like "Macorina:"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A57rRFCYmQQ

Trío Los Panchos, el trío romántico par excellence in their heyday:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGWAYLAm3l4

Carlos Gardel was wonderful, but the somewhat lesser-known Agustín Magaldi was great too:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqktgBRI2sM

Julio Jaramillo and Olimpo Cárdenas, greats of the pasillo ecuatoriano....

Julio Jaramillo- Consuelo Amargo:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7TJ6dI49fk

Olimpo Cárdenas- Sombras:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xvb3dHdy_c

Karamy









 

Ok, here goes my contribution:

It all started with La Cumparsita and other tango, milonga and candombe music heard in my childhood during Carnival in Montevideo. At the same time I was exposed to classical music, my ears heard and my soul absorbed flamenco (Carmen Amaya - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCca6d2ceI0 and Manitas de Plata—and of course now the Gipsy Kings are among my favorites) and the music of zarzuelas (Doña Francisquita and La Picara Molinera). Classical and flamenco guitar music (Andrés Segovia, Pepe Romero, Carlos Montoya, Sabicas) are still up there on my list, and all live on, on YouTube.

During the years, when I wasn’t listening to rock ‘n roll, I could remember my childhood hearing The Kingston Trio singing Coplas along with others that had a Latin flavor. Then came Guantanamera. I also enjoyed Harry Belafonte, Herb Alpert, Santana and even José Feliciano.

There was a big gap until I started watching telenovelas in my more “mature” years. The first song that knocked my shoes and socks off was Golondrinas Viajeras, the theme song from STuD (Joan Sebastian & Lucero sing). That’s the one that started my now huge collection of tn songs and artists on iTunes, the latest ones from Amores Verdaderos. When I’m feeling melancholy and reflective, I go to Manuel Carrasco and cry along with Renata over Jero the Jerko.

From Uruguay, there are different genres I enjoy: ballads by Jaime Roos and Alfredo Zitarrosa, interesting soft rock ballads by La Vela Puerca (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sABVieMgwlA) and El Cuarteto de Nos.

In Puerto Rico, I was introduced to Jibaro (traditional mountain music) and from Mexico (thanks to a Caray posting) el Son Jarocho from Veracruz (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBnkv0BbnJo), both types played on stringed instruments.

Thank you, Utah Desert, for mentioning Peruvian music and Chabuca Granda (I’m going to check out the other links you posted). I hadn’t heard anything by her until Juan Diego Flórez' interpretation of her Flor de la Canela (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38jUAi_Tpxg). I also wore out my LP album of Los Incas, the group that backed up Simon & Garfunkle’s El Condor Pasa. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSwu8-ohoWs).

Getting into religious music, there is la Misa Criolla, by Argentine composer Ariel Ramirez (d. 2010), which “combined Spanish text with indigenous instruments and rhythms.” It’s a very inventive piece but good for the soul.

I’m looking forward to the Lila Downs live concert with Vivi in May.

So, an eclectic grouping, but a little something for every mood. Thank you, UA for this discussion thread and letting me share.

Anita, La Dama del Queso
 

I won't bore you all with an attempt at a list of favs.
i will just say i am from Puerto Rico so i love 'jibaro' traditional music, but i also like colombian's vallenato stuff including both traditional artists and Carlos Vives.
I went to college in early 80s just as MTV was coming up so i can also say i am a 80s pop and rock fan.
As far as mariachis, i love Alejandro Fernandez, Chente Fernandez, Pedro Aguilar, Pedro Infante, Jorge Negrete (check his version of 'el jinete'), Placido Domingo, Miguel Aceves Mejia, etc.
But i love also to hear other genres of latin music like bosa nova, the new bosa (recent artists), ballads, danza/danzon, merengue, bachata, etc etc in other words pretty much any latin genre.
 

There certainly are lots of subgenres of musica latina! I just remembered another form I like. I love opera, and although very few famous operas are in Spanish, a lighter form of opera called zarzuela (has more speaking than a normal opera, and often folk themes, but not necessarily) has caught my attention. There are a number of zarzuelas on dvd, and they are wonderful.

Continuing with classical music, there are a number of famous composers, such as Villa Lobos (actually Brazilian), de Falla, Tomás Bretón, Enrique Granados, and of course, many of the great classical guitar works (such as those of Fernando Sor), are Spanish (no words, but my telenovela watching has gotten me interested in those works, too).
 

can anyone recommend an artist or band that uses the harp a lot? i loved the music in la dama de troya!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vF8RBOfjxGU
the theme song especially, but they used that particular sound (don't know if it has a name) for background and other soundtrack needs.

after watching LHDM, i looked up good ol linda rondstat- she did a ranchera album. y andele was the most familiar sounding.

and zumba has turned me on to the reggaeton type stuff! so many great latin styles in a zumba class.

and not sure how well known Bonde do Role is, but i love this brazilian alt band!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXx0cGe1G74


mai tai (or la barracha de paraguas y frutas)
 

I'm just now getting around to reading this. What a great topic, UA. I'm going to have to check out those links.

My interest in Latin music also developed out of dancing. I particularly like the bolero and the Argentine tango.

Or maybe my interest developed when I was a child watching reruns of the old I Love Lucy show. Or maybe it was the tango, Hernando's Hideaway, in the Pajama Game movie.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLuwyTzAQH8

Or perhaps it was Morticia and Gomez Addams dancing the tango in The Addams Family TV show.

In recent years, I became friends with an engineer at work who had been the percussionist in the Latin rock band "de Sol." Of course, I had to buy their two CDs. Check them out if you get a chance, especially Karma, Chango, and Paloma on the first CD.

He introduced me to other artists, and now these are some of my faves.

Ricardo Arjona with Ella y El:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6PXwxi4eJI

and Chambao with Ahi Estas Tu:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0R4ZiXlWig8

Also, I have a friend who is mad about Luis Miguel, even going to Spain to see him perform. I was familiar with some of his boleros, and when he came to Orlando, she was out of work and I treated her to a ticket. I have to say that he had amazing charisma. When he came out and smiled, even though he was more than an hour late and I was really pissed, I had to smile back.
 

If you have time give a listen to Grupo Folklore.www.youtube.com/triofolclor2012. or at www.facebook.com/grupofolklore. enjoy